Key Messages
Discover The Weird And Wonderful Habits That Helped Famous Creatives And Thinkers Become Geniuses
Ever wonder what it takes to become a genius? The Daily Rituals Book gives you access to the incredible routines and eccentric habits of history’s greatest artists, musicians, writers and thinkers.
Through these stories and anecdotes you can gain insight into how creativity works, as well as learn some life hacks to help your own productivity.
For instance, did you know that Beethoven put a certain number of coffee beans in his cup each morning or that Benjamin Franklin liked walking while in his birthday suit? These rituals and oddities can now be yours to use.
Understand how these influential figures formed their great minds and found success by learning about their amazing daily routine habits.
It might just inspire your inner genius!
The Benefits Of Working At Dawn Or In The Early Morning Hours And The Joys Of Late Night Creativity
Most artists have particular times they choose to do their creative work.
For some, it’s during the early morning hours when sunrise is just glimmering in the sky and the world is still asleep.
Novelist Toni Morrison likes to rise at 5 a.m., for instance, and take in the mystical moment that can inspire her writing.
Such people may even get two mornings in one day by waking up at 4am and then again at 8:30am for their second morning, as novelist Nicholson Baker does.
Yet there are others who prefer to do their creative work as night is falling or deep into the night when everyone else is asleep.
For author Ann Beattie, 12 a.m – 3 a.m was her time of choice to get maximum productivity out of her writing, while renowned French writer Gustave Flaubert liked to have his social commitments taken care of during the day so that he could devote himself entirely to writing at night-time hours when it was free from distractions and easy to focus on his craft.
The Price Of Creative Greatness: Artists Financially Constrained By Time And Money
Some creators have more free time than others due to their life circumstances.
For example, Richard Wright was able to write the first draft of a 500-page novel in only five months thanks to having a full-time salary from the New York Writer’s Program.
This certainly gave him an advantage over many other writers who had to use their time much more wisely as they didn’t have access to these resources.
On the other hand, Wolfgang Mozart was often limited by his hectic schedule — most of his daytime hours were dedicated either teaching or socializing with patrons that helped finance his music.
He only had time to work on compositions at night, and often didn’t finish until one in the morning — a mere five hours before he needed to start his next day.
Karl Marx had extremely difficult circumstances as well, spending most of his life as a political refugee in London and living through poverty and disease before completing the first volume of Das Kapital.
Some creators, however, choose to keep day jobs even when they don’t need them; such is the case of Haruki Murakami who ran a small jazz club in Tokyo for several years prior to beginning his writing career.
Henry Green also chose stability and routine when he decided not to fuly dedicate himself to writing while having ample family money available.
Overall, some creators do have more time than others because of their life circumstances which can give them an advantage when it comes time for creating their masterpiece works of art.
Creative Minds And Their Chemical Companions: How Coffee, Amphetamines, And Other Substances Fueled Greatness
Drugs and stimulants are a common way for artists to maximize their creative potential and bolster their work hours.
From Ludwig van Beethoven counting out precisely sixty coffee beans for his morning cup of java, to Søren Kierkegaard who had over fifty unique sets of cups and saucers for his evening coffee.
And then there are the not-so-subtle cases of W.H.
Auden and Jean-Paul Sartre who relied heavily on amphetamines and corydrane respectively , to get them up in the morning or help them stay up late.
And even Francis Bacon, famous for his hedonistic behavior, consuming alcohol and drugs to fuel his creativity or relax him after long hours spent working or partying.
It’s clear that most creatives are no strangers to drugs and other stimulants, allowing them to work longer into the night -or just relax at a party— but it’s important to remember that the use of drugs should always be viewed as a last resort and done under medical supervision if necessary.
The Benefits Of Escape Versus The Necessity Of City Life For Creativity
Creators need the right surroundings to thrive.
Whether it’s seclusion and nature or the energy of city life, the right environment can prove inspiring and productive for many artists and thinkers.
Just take a look at Carl Jung, who built himself a stone house near a remote village on the lake of Zurich – choosing to get far from the frenzy of city life so he could carve out time to write and reflect.
Haruki Murakami also sought out quiet spaces when he moved to a rural area in order to avoid any detrimental effects that cities could have on his wellbeing.
This enabled him to create an idyllic daily routine, with set times for waking up early, writing, running and swimming before winding down in the evenings with music and reading before going to bed.
On the other hand, writers like Patricia Highsmith preferred the chaos of urban life for their creativity; often working in her own bed surrounded by cigarettes, coffee and doughnuts!
Later on in life she even kept a bottle of vodka nearby – taking sips every morning before marking her progress with how much was left.
Unlocking Creativity: Different Artists, Different Strategies For Creative Flow
No two creative minds are alike — and that’s a great thing.
Every artist has their own unique algorithms and approach to their craft.
It’s not just the amount of time they dedicate to their work that varies, but also the speed at which they complete it.
For example, composer Benjamin Britten was all about hard work alone — colleagues complained his life was his work as creativity seemed so all-encompassing for him.
On the other hand, novelist Gertrude Stein seemingly did fine with only 30 minutes of writing each day, ideally concentrating on a cow!
Then there are those like Dmitri Shostakovich who could easily come up with entire compositions in their heads beforehand and transcribe them quickly, whereas poet W.B.
Yeats found himself quite slow when he admitted he “never did more than five or six good lines in a day.”
But regardless of individual creative processes— be it fast or slow— creators must find tricks to keep the creative flow going when inspiration strikes.
Kingsley Amis had an approach he’d use when coming up with story ideas — stop writing for the day while still having a clear idea of how it would go on!
Reconnecting With The Body To Inspire Creative Thinking
Connecting to the body is a popular practice among creative minds as a way to free the mind.
Numerous well-known thinkers have employed this method in their daily rituals.
From traditional pursuits such as exercise, fresh air and walking, to less traditional practices like taking an ‘air bath’.
Benjamin Franklin was an early practitioner of freeing the mind by connecting with the body through nudity.
He would spend thirty minutes or even an hour naked in his room each day, reading or writing while taking an ‘air bath’.
Similarly, Woody Allen frequently experienced an invigorating mental break during showers when stuck with a project.
Author Thomas Wolfe also developed a writing ritual that involved touching his genitals, though he wouldn’t become aroused — instead aiming for connection with a ‘good male feeling’ which he found inspiring.
Other authors such as John Cheever believed that at least two or three orgasms per week improved concentration and eyesight.
Clearly, connecting with the body is one of many effective ways of freeing the mind for enhanced productivity of creative minds.
The Vital Role Of Friends, Partners, And Colleagues In The Creative Lives Of World-Renowned Thinkers And Artists
It’s easy to think that successful creators who leave a lasting mark on the world work only alone, but day-to-day relationships often play an essential part in artists’ lives.
Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir are one example of collaborators whose work together helped them both create some of their best works.
Alice B.
Toklas, Gertrude Stein’s partner, proves that friends and partners can help with practical and mundane aspects of life.
She woke up at 6 am to prepare everything for Ms.
Stein four hours later, demonstrating how invaluable a partner can be in maintaining focus.
The composer Gustav Mahler also relied heavily on his wife Alma – after ensuring the silence of the children during the morning, she would take him on his daily mid-day walk and swim – even averting her attention if he became inspired so as not to disturb him!
Women Multitaskers: A History Of Creative Women Navigating Adversity And Juggle Home And Work Life
The Daily Rituals book summary shows that women and men often have different roles to play when it comes to creative work in a household.
Historically, many women were not able to dedicate their lives fully to their creativity as writing and such male-dominated spheres resulted in strictures from spouses, society and other sources.
Take Jane Austen for example: she was one of the rare few who were able to become successful writers at her time, though needed the support of her family.
She usually wrote in the sitting room, having to keep it a secret from servants and visitors, with her sister taking charge of most of the house duties.
On the other hand, Alma Mahler had less luck – even though she was very talented in her own right before her marriage with Gustav, he demanded that only one composer be present in the family – resulting in a halt on Alma’s work.
Thankfully times have changed but this often means modern creative women face their own set of challenges – with author Frances Trollope beginning writing at 53 to support her family by starting every day at 4am before breakfast or Toni Morrison having to juggle both a 9-to-5 job plus raising two sons on her own.
Wrap Up
The final summary of Daily Rituals is that consistency, creativity and drive are all essential elements to success.
Different people have different routines and habits that they use to be successful but there isn’t one sure-fire way to achieve results.
In order to boost your creativity, it’s important to experiment with different rituals so you can find out what works best for you.
Whether it’s lounging in bed or going for a run at sunrise, discover which activities make your neurons fire and inspire you best.
And remember, just because a certain habit worked well for someone else doesn’t meant it will have the same effect on you.
So don’t be afraid to think outside the box and experiment!
